Oxx Kits Out Ladies of Team High Maintenance

I first encountered Team High Maintenance on the "attempted" first shoot of Beyond the Lane in 2009. It was on the Kokopelli Trail, which begins in Colorado and ends in Utah where the excursion began and bonds were formed. The ladies of THM pedaled along rather efficiently and our trusty Land Rovers transported our camp and negotiated the trail more cumbersome, but certainly dependably.

Since that first trip the relationship between THM and Red Oxx has evolved and intertwined. Years later, the two have found the worth of partnership based on shared values, sense of adventure and real camaraderie.

If you are not aware, that first shoot was also the scene of an episode involving a cantankerous river and a sunken Rover. Truly, it’s difficult to believe someone would trust me to operate another Land Rover, yet although the perils of the Kokopelli Trail were still inherent, once again I found myself behind the wheel of a Defender 130 ready to navigate that same course again. And so, the shooting of Season One of Beyond the Lane ensued once more in 2010. This time, we were not going to sink any Land Rovers!

With the faith of my comrades, I fired up the Defender and embarked on the prospect of redeeming myself with the off road community. I had also inherited the extra duty as trail chef on the journey, which can be a daunting task when feeding a collection of hungry adventurers. In addition, supporting the ladies of THM was a task in itself, as keeping them sustained was our goal. However, ironically, keeping up with them was an even greater task!

For those of us traveling by rugged and indestructible Land Rovers, it was hard to believe we could be beat by ladies on bicycles. But it was indeed an unmistakable advantage for the girls to blow past, over and under obstacles, which in some cases can take hours for a rig to negotiate. Perhaps a wrong turn would be made and the logistics of getting a convoy of vehicles back on track was the equivalent of wrangling kittens. Then toss in a mechanical issue for a vehicle and, you get the picture. Let’s just say the ladies had time on their hands to meet new people along the way and work on their tans!

Needless to say we had quite an adventure on this run. You’ll have to tune into Beyond the Lane to see what the thrill-seekers encountered along the way and how the trip unfolded. You’ll also want to keep an eye on Team High Maintenance who is now proudly sponsored by Red Oxx. THM will be featured in their own documentary, which will be filmed this season, 2011. The series will expose the women of THM and document what it takes to keep up with the race of life, all the while preparing for the actual challenges of racing a bike!

Cheers, Jim Markel CEO